Tidying Up - Clothing

The book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, has received much coverage as of late. Various bloggers and vloggers have mentioned it. The author and the book garnered attention from the New York Times. Additionally, the book is an NPR bestseller.

I am on an eternal quest to streamline and simplify my life, so I had to read this book. The task of gathering all of one's possessions of like kind (clothing in my case) and spreading them out on the floor seems daunting enough. Add to this that you must handle each piece and determine if it sparks joy. Items that do are to be thanked and kept. Items that do not spark joy are to be discarded, but only after thanking it for its service to you.

A little odd? Yes. But does it work? Yes. The sight of all of your clothes in one spot (rather than strewn about the house in various closets and storage bins) is an eye-opener! And I think I started with less stuff than many.

A Four-Hour Tour
I was able to gather, sort, and act on all of my clothing in roughly four hours. Four hours seems like a good chunk of time to lose, but that four hours covered everything -- gathering, sorting, organizing what I'd kept in my closet, and preparing the other items for donation or for selling.

The author says that once you apply her method of tidying (the KonMari Method), you will never backslide to cluttered living. That is the part that only time can reveal.

Autumn / Winter Wardrobe

Guess who did not get her shit together to create a 33-item (or less) wardrobe for the autumn-winter round of Project 333?

Recently, a cousin purged her closets, and I took the clothing. I realize this is the opposite of streamlining and minimizing, but I wanted some shiny new things.

Lately, I have been down in the frumps. While I realize that I am light-years away from my punky goth youth, I continue to struggle with my personal style as I drift to becoming a woman of a certain age. I look in the mirror, and I am not happy with the clothing that I see.

Today, I took some time to assess the clothing hanging in my closet, as well as the bag of loot inherited from my cousin. Slowly, I see something taking shape that pleases me.

Project 333 | Round 1 Wrap

I participated in my first round of Project 333 from July 1, 2014 through September 30, 2014. How did it go?

Well... I was successful in keeping my number of items (not including shoes) under 33 for the entire three months. However, I did not pack up the rest of my wardrobe, and, from time to time, I dipped into the off-limits wardrobe to replace worn out clothes.

Fewer items = more wear. More wear = more wear and tear.

While I was wading through my non-Project 333 wardrobe, I assessed the contents. There were quite a few items that did not fit -- my body or my style. If those items were in good condition, they were sold, consigned, or donated.

As for the shopping, it started off small, but it grew. By mid-September, I was shopping for items to incorporate into my Autumn-Winter wardrobe.

Was my first round of Project 333 successful? Somewhat.

Will I do it again? Yes, and that information is forthcoming.

Business Trip | Montreal

I have said it before. I loathe carrying baggage when I travel. I planned to use the same bag I carried to New York last month, however, I needed to pack my work laptop. Thus, I pulled out my trusty 20" rolling suitcase. This piece of luggage has travelled with me since the late '90s, but it's days are drawing to a close. The wheels are not smooth, and I have to wrestle with the handle -- regardless of whether I'm attempting to collapse or expand it.

I plan to downsize once I buy a replacement piece, but this is the perfect size for 3+ days of travel. In fact, this thing took me to Paris and Cannes for a 7-to10-day business trip! That was before I had a work laptop that I needed to schlep around. 

My current business trip to Montreal is significantly shorter. Here is what I packed for the trip.

De-Clutter Weekend

Thanks to Lea Ann, I have been watching Obsessive Compulsive Cleaners. I am neither an obsessive compulsive cleaner, nor am I a hoarder, but this show has inspired me to do a bit of de-cluttering this weekend.

As it stands, our lives are rather streamlined, but there is always room for improvement. I decided to tackle three areas:

1. skincare
2. cosmetics
3. workout clothing

Skincare
Earlier this summer, I committed to using up skincare, and aside from replenishment, I have not purchased new skincare items "just to try". While I plan to use a number of skincare samples during an upcoming business trip, I have too many bottles and such cluttering the skincare shelf in my bathroom cabinet.

Cosmetics
Yes, I culled my cosmetics collection a few months ago. At the time, I was reluctant to let go of a few items, but this weekend, I tossed those items that I had kept out of guilt.

Workout clothing
I tried working out at home, but I enjoy -- and almost require -- the community and motivation that comes from group fitness classes. As such, weeding out the fitness togs was mandatory. I will not sport grotty clothing and see-through sports bras in public.